China has advised its citizens to avoid travelling to Japan and has summoned Tokyo’s ambassador in Beijing following remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on the security implications of a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan.
The latest diplomatic clash erupted after Takaichi told a parliamentary committee that any use of force around Taiwan involving “battleships and the use of force” could amount to a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan.
Under Japan’s 2015 security legislation, such a designation would allow the Self-Defence Forces to support allies under attack.
Beijing condemned the comments as “egregious,” intensifying tensions already strained by sensitive regional security issues.
The row escalated further after China’s Consul General in Osaka, Xue Jian, wrote online that “the dirty head that sticks itself in must be cut off.” Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara described the statement as “highly inappropriate.”
Both countries lodged formal protests over each other’s remarks.
Prime Minister Takaichi has refused to withdraw her statement, saying it aligns with Japan’s long-standing security position, though she added she would be “careful” when discussing hypothetical scenarios in the future.
China’s Foreign Ministry accused Japan of “playing with fire” and warned that any intervention in the Taiwan Strait would be considered an “act of aggression.”
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong summoned Japan’s ambassador on Thursday, calling Takaichi’s comments “extremely wrong and dangerous” and demanding that Tokyo retract them or “bear all consequences.”
Japan, however, maintains that it seeks a peaceful, diplomatic resolution to issues concerning Taiwan.
At a briefing, Kihara urged Beijing to act responsibly regarding Xue’s controversial remarks and reiterated Tokyo’s commitment to peaceful dialogue.
Late Friday, China’s embassy in Tokyo issued a travel advisory urging Chinese nationals to avoid Japan “in the near future,” citing what it described as “blatantly provocative remarks regarding Taiwan.”
The dispute touches on long-standing historical grievances dating back to the 19th century and the Second World War, which continue to shape China-Japan relations. China’s Foreign Ministry warned that Japan would “inevitably suffer heavy losses and pay a bitter price” if it interferes militarily in the Taiwan question.
Takaichi, a protégé of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is known for her hawkish views on China and her strong support for closer cooperation with the United States. She has faced repeated accusations from Beijing of supporting Taiwanese independence, especially after meeting a senior Taiwanese official during the recent APEC summit in South Korea.
China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve unification. Japan, like the United States, maintains strategic ambiguity regarding how it might respond to a Chinese invasion, balancing deterrence with its significant economic ties to Beijing.
Past remarks by Japanese officials on Taiwan have triggered similar friction. In 2021, when then–Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso said Japan would join the U.S. in defending Taiwan, China demanded he “correct his mistakes.”
In the most recent escalation, China again accused Japan of “gross interference” in its internal affairs.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reaffirmed Beijing’s position that “Taiwan is China’s Taiwan” and warned that China would not tolerate foreign interference or threats to its “core interests.”
